Global Reach

Creating an international community

Across the globe, our students and faculty create knowledge and make profound and lasting change for the better. Our students study international economics in Prague, work on sustainable development in Thailand and use their spring breaks to provide medical relief in Central America.

At home, our campus is enriched by students, teachers and researchers from across the world, representing more than 80 countries. We are committed to providing our international students all the advising, advocacy and language education they need to feel at home in their new surroundings and be a part of a worldly and rigorous college experience.

Faculty make crucial contributions to our global presence. Their research demonstrates the extraordinary effectiveness of nonviolent solutions to seemingly intractable global problems. They consult with governments and corporations the world over, fight human trafficking, and, as seen with Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science Dean JB Holston's trip to Brazil for Biennial of the Americas, act as cultural emissaries between our country and others.

We also host events and programs that bring the world to our campus. From Egyptian scholars to Latin American statesmen to Chinese media executives, thinkers and doers from around the world come here to share ideas and learn from and with our community. These efforts, combined with the education, connections and programs of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, help us develop bonds globally and strengthen relationships among nations.

"The only way a power like the United States can function in this world is by being open to other cultures and open in its relationships with other countries. I think the University is at the forefront of that."

Professor Luc Beaudoin, associate provost for internationalization

70%

Around 70 percent of DU undergraduates study abroad, many through Cherrington Global Scholars

80+

The University of Denver is host to students and faculty from over 80 countries around the globe

Ranked fifth in the nation among graduate schools for producing Peace Corps volunteers

DU in the World

Our students work with communities worldwide, exchanging knowledge and improving conditions across the globe.

International Student Learning Dharamsala

For one of our longest-running international programs, students travel to Dharamsala, a city in India’s Himalayan region that is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. While there, students immerse themselves in Tibetan culture, learn from former political prisoners and work one-on-one as language partners for newly arrived refugees. It’s a trip that nearly every returning student describes as the most impactful experience of their time at DU.

Global Medical Brigades

Over the last five years, members of our Medical and Dental Brigades used their spring breaks to travel to Nicaragua and Panama to provide medical and water relief. Volunteers help with triage, shadow doctors and dentists during consultations, assist in the pharmacy and lead educational sessions for children. Recently, they worked with locals to build infrastructure to deliver clean water to a community that previously lacked access.

Hospitality in-service training

In partnership with the Global Livingston Institute, DU students are helping Ugandans get the training they need to enter the hospitality industry and improve their quality of life. Student interns shape a project that trains and manages a diverse workforce. Ugandans who participate in the program develop skills and improve their quality of life. The program already has placed more than 200 Ugandans in the workforce, and as our partnership continues, that number will grow.

Faculty in the World

JB Holston

Dean of the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, joined Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and others as they visited Brazil for Biennial of the Americas. Holston used the opportunity to help build a bridge between the entrepreneurs and innovators of Brazil with those right here in Denver.

Deborah Avant

Director of the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy Deborah Avant, along with a team of professors and researchers, is leading an investigation into the effects of nonviolent action in conflict zones. The team hopes to find the most effective ways to reduce violence and create conditions for long-term peace and stability.

Nader Hashemi

As director of the Korbel School's Center for Middle East Studies, professor Nader Hashemi works with students and faculty alike to deepen the understanding of the societies and political structures of the Middle East and the broader Islamic world. His work aims to shrink the gap between the Middle East and the West at large.

Global Engagement

Strengthening bonds worldwide

Students in our Korbel School of International Studies are at the forefront of efforts to foster peace, justice and understanding worldwide. Institutes like the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation and the Latin America Center work to solve regional problems and strengthen relationships regionally. Through the Center on Human Rights Education and the Human Trafficking Center, students help advance human rights on a global scale.

Other students work with disadvantaged youth in South Africa, provide community health education and support in Costa Rica, and teach computer skills to seniors in Ireland through our many abroad programs.

We're also proud to show our international student body the best the United States has to offer, and we provide the language education services and support international students need to take full advantage of their education.

Helping Students Succeed

We work to ensure international students have all the resources they need to flourish at DU and enrich our community with their skills and perspectives. Our English Language Center and International Student and Scholar Services are essential in the effort to make our campus an ideal starting point for someone new to our country.

The World Comes to DU

Our campus is a magnet for visitors, who bring with them different perspectives and global connections.

Flight to Denver

Flight to Denver, hosted by DU's Project X-ITE in collaboration with a variety of academic, public, private and nonprofit groups, is a summit for the engineers, scientists and innovators working to address the United Nations' sustainable development goals. The 17 goals, set forward in 2015, are designed to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for everyone. Teams addressing the different goals partnered with faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and experts from the nonprofit, public and private sectors.

Lund University Partnership

Thanks to an innovative partnership, students have the opportunity to spend two years abroad in Sweden to earn a bachelor's degree from DU and a master's from Lund University. Initially available to students in the biological sciences and gender and women's studies programs, the initiative calls for participants to spend their first three years at DU followed by two at Lund University, the highest-ranked university in Sweden and one of the top 100 in the world.

DU CultureFest

A DU tradition for more than 30 years, CultureFest is an opportunity for students, faculty and neighbors to celebrate the many cultures represented by the DU community. With food and performances from around the globe, participants have fun and enjoy great food while representatives from various internationally focused clubs and organizations share traditions from a wide range of cultures.

Student Vies for World Record

Our students remain animated by the University's international spirit long after they leave. Jessica Elliott is living proof, as she journeys to set a world record for visiting every country in the world.